The present invention relates to a play structure and, in particular, to a play structure such as a dollhouse, which may be collapsed to a convenient, compact form for storage and/or transport.
Model play structures, such as dollhouses, castles, forts and the like have been a mainstay of children's playtime equipment. When used in conjunction with appropriately sized dolls and ancillary equipment, such structures provide hours of entertainment for a child, and permit the healthy expression of the child's understandings, as well as fantasies, of life and the varieties of situations which may be portrayed by the equipment.
The very feature of such structures, namely their ability to support and display dolls and other items which are employed with the structures, causes them to be of a size which creates an unwieldy and awkward unit for storage or transportation, and this often leads to their disfavor. In addition, the ancillary items are often strewn about, as there is no provision for the storage of such items in conjunction with the structure.
It is accordingly a purpose of the present invention to provide a play structure, such as a dollhouse, which may be collapsed from its fully upright form to a compact structure, well adapted for storage and transport.
Yet another purpose of the present invention is to provide a play structure which is collapsible and includes integral storage means for ancillary parts.
Yet a further purpose of the present invention is to provide such a structure in a form which may be easily erected and collapsed, which is convenient and efficient to manufacture, and which has no loose parts that need to be assembled or attached for assembly.
In accordance with the foregoing and other objects and purposes, the play structure of the present invention includes a base having integral storage units, such as drawers, which allows the storage of doll furniture and like items, and which provides a rigid support for the unit in both the erected and collapsed positions. Pivotly mounted to the base and extending vertically upward therefrom are a pair of spaced parallel walls which define the opposite side walls of the play structure. Pivotly mounted to and between the walls are a plurality of horizontal panel elements defining the floors of the playhouse. A member defining the front wall of the structure extends vertically between the front edges of the side walls, and is pivotly mounted to one of the horizontal members, and preferably the uppermost one thereof. Each of the side wall, floor and front wall elements are pivotly interconnected such that the resulting assemblage may be folded down into a compact unit on top of the base. By pivoting the panel elements to their upright, assembled position, a multi-level structure is created, the front wall being fastened with lock means to the horizontal panel elements, thus forming a rigid, self-standing structure. Internal pivotable partition panels may be provided to define subvolumes between adjacent horizontal panels, corresponding to rooms of the structure, and additional pivotable panel elements, defining a roof structure, may be provided. When play with the structure is finished, each of the panels is again pivotable such that the structure may be collapsed onto the base unit, resulting again in a compact unit which may be easily stored or transported.